top of page
Book now to schedule your free consultation:


News and Research
Science-backed Information for Better Care
ScienceWorks is a modern telepsychology practice offering evidence-based care for: Autism & ADHD, Anxiety & Depression, OCD, Trauma, Insomnia, Kids & Families, and more.
These conditions frequently co-occur, can be difficult to diagnose, and also difficult to treat - often requiring specialist knowledge and direct clinical experience to achieve the best possible outcomes.
That's why research and training are the foundation of our work.
Our goal is sharing our knowledge with our friends, clients, and partners to build a stronger, more informed mental health community.
Search


ADHD Treatment Without Medication: What Therapy Can Help With
Last reviewed: 03/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re searching for ADHD treatment without medication, you’re probably not looking for a debate about meds. You’re looking for relief, follow-through, and a plan that doesn’t rely on willpower you “should” have. The good news is that therapy can be a practical, evidence-based way to reduce ADHD-related impairment, even if medication is not part of your plan right now.[1] In this article, you’ll learn: What people usua

Ryan Burns
Mar 910 min read


Online Therapy in Tennessee: Specialized Care Across Conditions
Last reviewed: 03/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re searching for online therapy Tennessee services, you may already know you want help — but still wonder what “specialized” care actually looks like when it happens over video. This guide explains what specialized telehealth can involve and how to decide your next step. In this article, you’ll learn: What “specialized therapy” means (and what it does not mean) Who tends to benefit most from specialized online ther

Ryan Burns
Mar 98 min read


After an Adult ADHD or Autism Evaluation: What Happens Next
Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you just completed an adult ADHD assessment, it’s common to feel relief and uncertainty at the same time. You may be holding an ADHD assessment report full of scores, acronyms, and recommendations. Or you may have completed an autism evaluation for adults (or an ADHD and autism assessment) and are trying to understand what it means for your day-to-day life. In this article, you’ll learn: How to interpret results, inclu

Ryan Burns
Feb 269 min read


Executive Dysfunction vs ADHD: What's the Difference?
Executive function vs ADHD can feel like the same daily struggle: late starts, forgotten tasks, and unfinished projects. This guide helps you spot the difference, choose the right screener (ASRS or ESQ-R), and know when to seek an evaluation in Tennessee.

Ryan Burns
Feb 198 min read


Symptoms of ADHD in Women: Why It Gets Missed and What Screeners Catch
ADHD symptoms in women often get missed because inattentive patterns, masking, and “doing well” outwardly can hide the struggle. Learn what ADHD can look like day-to-day, how burnout and anxiety overlap, and what the ASRS screener can (and can’t) pick up.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 198 min read


Executive Dysfunction in Perimenopause: Why Tasks Stall
Last reviewed: 02/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are in perimenopause and it feels like your brain suddenly “won’t do the thing,” you are not imagining it. Executive dysfunction perimenopause often shows up as task paralysis, brain fog, and a sharp drop in follow-through, even for people who used to be highly capable. Research suggests cognitive complaints are common during the menopause transition, and many women report changes that interfere with daily life. (1

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 1211 min read


Why ADHD in Women Often Gets Missed Until Midlife
Late diagnosed ADHD in women is often missed because symptoms can look like anxiety, perfectionism, or “just being overwhelmed.” Learn how masking works, why midlife can trigger burnout, and what a quality adult evaluation looks for.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 313 min read


Menopause Brain Fog vs ADHD: What Counts as Impairment
If you’re stuck on menopause brain fog vs ADHD, the deciding factor in an evaluation is often functional impairment: how much symptoms disrupt work, home, and relationships over time.

Kiesa Kelly
Jan 178 min read


Low-Demand Therapy for PDA-Style Demand Avoidance: What It Is
If you’ve lived with PDA-profile demand avoidance (in yourself or in your child), you already know the frustrating paradox: the more someone pushes, the less it works. What looks like “refusal” or “opposition” on the outside is often an internal nervous system threat response to demands—especially when those demands feel trapping, controlling, or impossible to escape. This is where low demand therapy for demand avoidance can be a game-changer. A low-demand, autonomy-supportiv

Ryan Burns
Dec 15, 202510 min read


ERP Therapy at Home: How Online ERP for OCD Works
Online ERP therapy lets you do exposure and response prevention where OCD actually shows up—at home and in daily routines—while staying connected to a qualified therapist in Tennessee. Learn how telehealth ERP sessions work, what to practice between visits, and how to stay safe and supported.

Ryan Burns
Nov 26, 202513 min read


PDA in Autism: Practical Support Strategies for Parents
Many families are desperate for something more helpful than “be consistent with consequences.” For autistic demand avoidance, PDA support strategies rooted in safety, autonomy, and collaboration reduce power struggles and open practical pathways to "yes" at home and school.

Ryan Burns
Nov 18, 20257 min read


PDA vs ODD: How Demand Avoidance Differs from Defiance
Many children and adults who show demand avoidance are not "oppositional" at all. For some, pathological demand avoidance—a profile linked with autism and anxiety—explains why simple requests feel like danger. This article explains pathological demand avoidance, anxiety-driven avoidance, and ODD-style "oppositional" patterns so you can recognize what’s really going on and consider next steps for support.

Ryan Burns
Nov 18, 202510 min read


PDA and ADHD in Adults: What Demand Avoidance Looks Like
PDA and ADHD can look similar, but they’re not the same. When demand avoidance in ADHD is driven by overwhelm—not defiance—supports that lower perceived threat and protect autonomy work best. Learn how to tell ADHD from PDA-style demand avoidance and what actually helps.

Kiesa Kelly
Nov 18, 20259 min read


Seasonal Stress Reset: Light, Sleep, and Habits for Darker Months
Seasonal stress light therapy habits can make winter easier. Learn what seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is, how circadian rhythm shifts in darker months, and which small routines—morning outdoor light, 10,000‑lux light boxes, steady sleep/wake windows, movement, and screen‑time boundaries—help you reset and feel better. Evidence‑based and practical, from ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare.

Ryan Burns
Oct 15, 20256 min read


Autistic Masking and Burnout: Signs, Causes, and What Helps
Autism masking burnout happens when long‑term camouflaging, sensory load, and social pressure outpace support. This guide explains camouflaging, sensory debt, safe‑to‑unmask spaces, and energy‑based planning—with practical steps and when to seek assessments, therapy, and coaching at ScienceWorks.

Ryan Burns
Oct 14, 20259 min read


Emotion Regulation Tools for Kids: Scripts You Can Use Right Now
Emotion regulation tools for kids don’t have to be complicated. This guide gives parents simple co-regulation scripts, sensory ideas, and quick steps to help kids calm down, reset, and build emotional skills that last.

Ryan Burns
Oct 13, 20256 min read


Meltdown vs Tantrum: A Co-Regulation Guide for Parents
Child meltdown co‑regulation helps calm the amygdala–prefrontal circuit so kids can reset rather than escalate. Learn what’s happening in the brain, how co‑regulation works in practice, and ScienceWorks’ step‑by‑step plan to turn meltdowns into teachable moments—and long‑term emotion regulation skills.

Ryan Burns
Oct 12, 20257 min read
bottom of page
